Scratchy throats, too many minutes and a lone fan

Apologies for this appallingly brief blog. I’m still not very well today and the throat is rumbling, so I mooched around the flat for a while before going to work without doing anything remotely holy. Which is probably something of a relief for God, to be honest. No doubt he has enough on his plate just now.

At work, I struggled away with the confusion of the minutes from yesterday. I think the words are possibly in the right order, but the sense of the plot eludes me. As usual, eh. And I’ve arranged another tranche of meetings up until December – ah it’s always good to have some sort of purpose in life. So they tell me. Meanwhile, I’ve started on the Lucozade so I’ll soon be ultra-hyper and my teeth will go orange. Always good to have something to look forward to is what I say.

Tonight, I was supposed to be popping into see Gladys, but thought it was probably better not to infect the poor thing. So I left work early and am drooping at home instead. If drooping and snorting a lot (hey, I can multi-task!) were an Olympic sport, I’d be laughing. Ho ho.

Ooh, but I have discovered that I have one fan on the Goodreads site – what joy! I’ve never had a fan before. Certainly not an official one anyway. Perhaps I should start a small but select club? Or perhaps not – after all, we Brooke readers are a strange and shadowy bunch … Adorable, though. Talking of which, the lovely Nancy has given A Dangerous Man a five-star review on Goodreads and recommended it to another reader, so thank you hugely for that once more, Nancy! You can find the thread here.

Today’s nice things:

1. Getting the minutes done, if not necessarily dusted
2. Having a fan, well gosh
3. Being at home
4. A five-star Goodreads review for ADM.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – multi-tasking for Britain …

Meetings City, books and the thrill of shopping

Ah, a day of meeting pain and shopping beckons, groan. Let’s start with this morning’s meditation:

Meditation 104

What with
regular offerings,
Sabbath offerings,

first day of the month
offerings, not to mention
those of the Festival

of the Unleavened Bread
and Harvest,
it’s a really tough time

to be a lamb.

This morning, I attempted to finish typing up the minutes from last week, in order to be prepared for the last-minute (ho ho) meeting I was drafted in to take the notes for at lunchtime. Mind you, I didn’t understand a word of what was going on, so I hope I can produce something out of the pit of confusion … Honestly, it’s all go here at the educational coal-face. You’d never think we were now in the vacation period. Still, the joy of finishing at 5pm kept me going through it all. In the meantime, my throat feels like two stretches of barbed wire being rubbed together and the only thing that has made me feel good all day is the gorgeous hot chocolate from Starbucks that I succumbed to later in the afternoon. Temporary bliss indeed. The boss isn’t too well either and neither is the dean, so my advice is don’t pop into the office if you were planning it. ‘Unclean, unclean,’ we cry …

Nonetheless, I had the shopping to face after work, so am full of the joys of Tesco right now (double ho ho). I also made a brave try at getting Easter presents for all and sundry, but am not entirely sure I’m in control of that particular effort. Ah well.

I didn’t think much of Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier, which I’ve read for the upcoming University Book Group, I must say. It’s really one of the dullest and most muddled books I’ve ever read, though it did have two or three very good lines. Which is about all that can be said for it really. I hated the characters, I hated the plot and I hated the writing. Sigh. However, still on the book front, I see that the ongoing good review of A Dangerous Man yesterday has meant that two more people have added it to their To Be Read lists atGoodreads, so that’s encouraging for sure.

Today’s nice things:

1. Poetry
2. 5pm finishes
3. Getting home
4. A surge in popularity for A Dangerous Man, hurrah.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – hanging on in there somehow

Bees, pens and honey cakes

Am happy to say that my sting-in-the-tale flash fiction piece, Night Bees, is now up at Every Day Fiction and can be found here. Hope you enjoy it and do feel free to leave a comment.

Other good news of the day is that the Pens on Fire webzine have accepted my romantic comedy short story, Speaking Her Mind, for publication in June – so something to look forward to for the summer, hurrah! And, along the same lines, I’ve had a lovely email from Nancy from Goodreads to say how much she’s enjoying A Dangerous Man. In fact, she’s enjoying it so much that she’s providing some lovely running commentary on what she thinks so far throughout the novel, which you can find here. Thanks so much, Nancy – emails from readers enjoying my books whilst reading them are very rare, so it’s really made my day! I hope you keep on enjoying it right until the end.

But let’s not forget this morning’s meditation poem – an early example of the power of women indeed:

Meditation 103

It takes five women –
Mahlah, Noah,
Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah –

to change the way
inheritance is bequeathed,
stepping up to face God

for the chance to live
without men.
Proof indeed,

if we needed it,
that sisterhood started early.

This morning, Lord H and I trundled off to church – and today is obviously a day of very strange hymns. I’m not sure anyone knew the tune of the first one. It was a kind of Anglican fudge tune – perfectly harmless but not something you remember. Today’s sermon was about finances and interest – subjects that normally pass swiftly through my head without making any impression, but I have learnt something. Apparently there’s a difference between monetary policy and fiscal policy. Lord H says the first is to do with money and the making of it, and the second is to do with taxes, and that both fall under the umbrella term of economic policy. At least, he thinks it’s that way round but as now even the FT is using the terms interchangeably, frankly who gives a damn? Ah well.

On the way home, we popped into Winkworth Arboretum and wandered about happily for an hour or so. We managed to spot some white-fronted geese, a yellow wagtail and – wait for it!! – a bat! In flight for quite a while and in the morning too. How very strange. Perhaps it was the confusion of this missing hour we don’t have. I will now be an hour behind my own life until I can pick it up in autumn again, sigh …

Moving briefly back into religious matters, I must say that Rowan Williams’ Silence and Honey Cakes is bloody stonkingly good. An excellent introduction to the humanity of religion and the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers. Inspirational and quiet, at the same time. Well worth reading if you’re drawn by the idea of silence. The only part I’d disagree with is the section where he questions the validity of fantasies and says that reality is more important. To my mind, fantasies are part of the reality of my life (how else would anyone write or draw or compose at all without fantasy??) and should be given equal billing with what is real. That’s my only quibble though – otherwise read it.

Oh and the universe has also managed to keep the balance of life fairly steady – in that I’ve had a couple of short story/flash fiction rejections (sigh) too, so I’ve turned them round and sent them back out the door again to see if they can find land. Meanwhile, tonight, there’s something on TV about volcanoes so I’ll probably watch that (volcanoes are like dinosaurs, you see, but more immobile …) and then of course there’s the marvellous Lewis. Perfect Sunday night viewing, bliss.

This week’s haiku:

I drink a haiku
for breakfast; its sultry beat
layers my cold bones.

Today’s nice things:

1. Night Bees being published
2. Short story acceptance
3. Reader comments about A Dangerous Man
4. Poetry
5. Birds – and bats
6. Books
7. TV
8. Haikus.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – a honey of a site (ho ho)

Primeval, Godot and publishers’ blogs

Had a great time last night with the music gang, so thanks for a wonderful evening, all! Lord H’s menu of quails’ eggs starter, duck & Chinese vegetable pancakes, and chocolate or lemon tarts went down a treat. What a hero indeed. Mind you, it’s obvious that at our advancing years we simply can’t take the strain, my dears, as it’s taken us forever to get up and we’re just easing ourselves through the day barely able to walk from room to room. Heck, and I didn’t even drink (yes, really). The excitement is just too much for me.

At least it’s meant that I can really focus on Hallsfoot’s Battle as I don’t have the energy to get up and do anything else. So I’m now into the 106,000 word zone, which is where I think I’ll leave it for this weekend. Last time I tried to do 4,000 words a week rather than 3,000, it took me three days to recover, so I don’t think I’ll be doing that again. Besides, I deserve some time off, surely.

Still on the writing front, I’ve resubmitted another couple of short stories which people didn’t want (Gasp! How can that be?! Did they not read them or something???), and also sent out another raft of poetry into the great beyond. I’m ever hopeful indeed. And I’ve written a poem about witch hunts and sorted out tomorrow’s haiku, which came to me this morning while I was drinking coffee – I couldn’t face breakfast, which is most unusual for me. Even if the world around me is collapsing into disaster, I always manage breakfast. Well, not today, I fear. Though lunch was the rest of the pancakes which Lord H cleverly heated up with tuna and grated cheese, mmm.

Ooh, and Bridge House Publishing have sent me a list of questions for the blog they’re setting up for the upcoming Bible stories anthology, so I’ve got that sorted out and sent it back to them, plus a picture of me. Hmm, that’ll terrify them for sure … Anyway, I shall look forward to seeing the blog up and running over the next couple of weeks or so, so watch this space.

And we’ve finally got round to booking tickets to see Patrick Stewart (please please please let him not be ill this time as he was for Macbeth!!) in Waiting for Godot. We struggled with the online booking system but after a brief phone call with a very helpful woman we now have tickets for a Saturday matinee (well, we really can’t take late nights, you know) in July, so I can’t wait for that. I love Patrick Stewart and the play itself is a work of genius, so what more can you want?

Tonight, it’s the return of those wonderful dinosaurs in the gloriousPrimeval - so at last something good on the TV, hurrah. I can never resist dinosaurs, in any shape or form.

Today’s nice things:

1. Writing more of Hallsfoot
2. Poetry
3. Responding to publisher requests
4. Booking for Godot
5. Dinosaurs, hurrah!

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – waiting for … um … Godot

Chat, article success and a cleaning frenzy

Plunged this morning with a merry wave and gay abandon into creating my article about writing sex. My, what fun. Almost as good as … um … actually writing it. As it were. It’s a little longer than anticipated (much the best way, in my opinion, ho ho), but I’ve submitted it anyway and the Strictly Writing Webzine have accepted it for publication in May, hurrah! Instant satisfaction and everyone’s smiling (goodness, I’m a cheap date indeed …). Thank you again, Samantha.

After all that heady excitement and panting, it was time to enter the chill-out zone, so I spent the rest of the morning chatting with Jane H (hello, Jane!) and putting the world to rights over tea and chocolate hobnobs. We Surrey ladies have a hard life, you know. Jane was also suitably impressed with the results of my current cleaning frenzy – we have people round for dinner tonight so I am endeavouring to clear up the dead bodies and remove the blood from the walls. As you do. Well, what else are attics for? Much of this wild activity consisted of womanhandling the contents of our airing cupboard which have been piled up across the living room for three months (Mike, oh plumber of ours, where are thou now?…) and depositing them in the bedroom. Thankfully, even though we live in Surrey, we’re not part of the Strange Set, so we won’t be needing that room until everyone’s gone tonight. Phew, that’s all right then. I’ve even dusted the outside hallway, which only gets done about twice a year, so I feel cleansed indeed. Hell, that must be worth a good few Wife Points at least.

Before we forget, here’s this morning’s meditation:

Meditation 102

Between the first census
and the second

all are destroyed
except three:

Caleb; Joshua; Moses.
A whole people

swallowed up by the desert
and the Lord’s dark anger.

In the silence of the heart
the need to betray

whispers its own journey.

Oh and on the subject of poetry, I’ve written a poem about lameness and deceit. As you do. Well, there’s not much TV on so nothing much else to distract me. This afternoon, I’ve fiddled about with Hallsfoot’s Battle but not to any serious intent, though I think the end scenes are beginning to have a purpose of sorts. Thank goodness. And I’ve had my Alexander Technique lesson, which was revelatory about how to go up and down steps. Apparently, it’s the back foot which takes the weight, not the front one on the step, so that’s where I’ve been going wrong all these years, aha! It made sense and I practised it coming up the outside stairs on the way back (Lordy, hope the neighbours weren’t looking …) and felt much more floaty rather than the usual sack-of-potatoes-having-a-hard-day feel. So maybe there’s hope for me yet? You never know.

So, tonight, it’s Robin & Gavin, Liz & John for dinner (in the hospitality, rather than the catering sense), Lord H is cooking and I’m doing the talking. Always play to your strengths is what I say.

Today’s nice things:

1. Acceptance of the sex writing article
2. Tea and chat with Jane H
3. Poetry
4. Writing a little of Hallsfoot
5. Alexander Technique
6. Dinner with friends.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – an acknowledged expert with stairs

Massages, Measures and erotic thoughts

Some great news this morning as my haiku describing the whole of Shakespeare in just three lines (yes! It can be done …) can be found at the Ink, Sweat and Tears webzine today – enjoy!

Talking of poems, here’s this morning’s meditation:

Meditation 101

The Valley of Acacia
is hot with intermingled

breath, the sleek dolphin
shape of limb

on limb, the wooded
warmth of a strange god’s

calling. In the tent
of desire, secretly,

death’s gleaming spear
pierces flesh and bone,

drives sweet disease
down into earth again.

And, interestingly, the lovely people at Strictly Writing have asked me to draft an article on my approach to erotic writing for possible publication in May. Lordy, it’s a tough job but someone has to do it, eh … (thank you, Samantha!). The big (if I may use that word without chortling) difficulty is going to be restricting myself to the 500 word limit, I fear … It’s like being given chocolate, diamonds and instant access to Ioan Gruffudd all at the same time, yummy … Quite honestly, I can’t wait to get started.

Anyway, back to relative normality, I’m now in the 104,000 word zone with Hallsfoot’s Battle and still working on those end scenes. I wonder now if this novel is going to be longer than I anticipate, as I feel there’s a lot to go back on and add clues about. And a fair amount of things to explain in these final chapters too. Still, better off that way than thinking I’ve written a whole load of tosh about nothing. In that case, surely it would be Lord of the Rings (hush my mouth) …

This afternoon, I’ve been having my regular relax zone with a Clarins facial and massage. Hilary thought my back was very tense today – perhaps it’s the aftermath of last week’s aches and pains? I’ve been doing all right this week, I thought. Anyway, the session was lovely and I am now a totally new woman. Hmm, either that or I’ll have one delivered.

Tonight, and returning to the subject of Shakespeare once more, Lord H and I are preparing ourselves for a darkly erotic theatrical experience (wait for the end of the sentence, people, please!…) as we’re off to Guildford to see Measure for Measure which is described with typical Surrey flair as “a story of passion and power, lust and restraint, sin and virtue and finally forgiveness and mercy”. Sounds like a normal day to me, my dears. Anyway, it’s a great play and sadly underperformed so good to see it given an airing here.

Today’s nice things:

1. A published haiku
2. Poetry
3. Thinking about erotic writing
4. Hallsfoot’s Battle
5. Clarins
6. Dark and passionate theatre, hurrah.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – taking a walk on the wild side tonight …

Poetry and article success

Put out the bunting, but today we’ve reached our 100th meditation poem and here it is, hurrah:

Meditation 100

Somewhere between
curse and response

the pale houses
elongate

like palms or gardens
beside a cool river,

aloes, cedars, rain.
They are not destroyed

by wishing it
and the bright star

is rising still.

At work, I tried to make sense of changes to some conference notes which are extra difficult as I didn’t actually attend it, plus I attempted to negotiate my way through the new travel booking system. There’s lots of stuff about which airline you prefer (even though we only ever take trains here at the coalface), but really just as long as it keeps in the sky when it should and knows how to take off and land, who really cares??

We had our rescheduled Steering Group meeting at lunchtime. Goodness me, what a lot of sandwiches. I think I’m growing strangely accustomed to the University bread … Talking of matters culinary, I must say I was hugely disappointed with my sneaky Starbucks cappuccino yesterday – there was hardly any foam, sigh … And as everyone knows it’s the foam that makes it just so exciting. Ah, the astonishing frustrations of coffee. It’s amazing I’m still sane. Anyway, the meeting was hugely demanding and I have acres of notes, deep groan. And less time to write them up in now, as an extra meeting has been scheduled in on Monday lunchtime when I least expected it. So this afternoon was spent trying to type up as much of the dang minutes as possible, so I can get ahead ready for the thrills and spills of next week. In order to do this, I’ve had to order my second decaff cappuccino of the week (shock! horror!) – but heck at least this one’s got foam.

Tonight, I’m off to the Bible Study Lent group where we’re continuing our journey through Job. How I love the poetry of it – though it does strike me that the more we think we know about God, the less in fact we do. The whole thing’s a mystery really – which is why the poetry works so well, and attempts at literal explanations simply deaden it. I think the path towards understanding doesn’t necessarily lie in the mind, but somewhere far, far deeper. Like people really – the more you think you know them, the less in fact you do. People – like God – are always more than the sum of their apparent parts.

Hmm, that’s today’s sermon over, thank the Lord. Anyone got any chocolate?? I think we all need some … Ooh, and the good news is that the plumber – when prompted by Lord H – has finally remembered us which means that a little more has happened to our heating system, though it’s not over yet, Carruthers. We have a funny timer switch now, plus some more cables, but he’s left it not quite wired up, so we’re hoping he’ll come back and finish the job at some point. He’s a lovely chap but rather spaced out, so produces great work, but slowly. Much like Vermeer then.

Ooh, and The View From Here magazine have kindly accepted my article on reading for writers, and it will be published on site in May and in the print edition in June, hurrah! Thank you so much for that, Mike.

Today’s nice things:

1. My 100th meditation poem
2. Cappuccino with foam
3. The poetry of Job
4. Climbing the plumbing mountain
5. Article acceptance.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – contemplating the mystery of life

Writers, visits and books

Had a really lovely time at last night’s Thorn in the Flesh book group, so thank you very much, Sue & Susanna and Co, for your very warm welcome, a great chat, fabulous food and fantastic flowers. All very much appreciated! It’s the icing on the cake of a writer’s life indeed.

Meanwhile, today’s meditation is rather darker than yesterday’s, I fear …

Meditation 99

From the high rocks
and lonely hills

see how the lion
licks up its prey.

Even seven altars
and all the bulls

and rams in the world
cannot turn it aside

from its slow devouring path.

At work, I’m catching up on minutes and trying to make my desk look tidy, professional and organised. Hmm, don’t wait up is my advice.

The lunch hour was spent in the stimulating company of the University Writers’ Group. Some great manuscripts to look at and I think they enjoyed my “Who, What, Where” game. Something to think about for their homework anyway.

On the way home, I popped into see Gladys and filled up that constantly emptying bird table – really, the birds in Godalming must be as huge as elephants now, though at least that will make them easier to spot. I tried a different tack this time too – instead of trying to talk or be super nice and jolly (no, it doesn’t sit easy, really …), I simply walked in, ignored her usual shouts of “go away!”, sat down next to her and tried to be still and focus on good thoughts (no, that doesn’t sit easy either, I know!). She did a little more shouting, then she quietened down and we just sat in silence for ten to fifteen minutes before I thought it was time to go. Now and then I glanced at her and smiled, and she looked puzzled but didn’t comment. When I got up to leave, she actually blew a kiss at me and let me touch her hand (which she usually hates). I said I’d see her next time and waved as I left the room. She waved back. It felt like progress. I might try it again and see if it helps us. Maybe words sometimes just get in the way.

This evening, I’ve written an article I’ve been asked to submit to The View From Here Magazine. The subject that sprang to mind was the utter and vital necessity of writers actually reading, which is something I feel passionately about. All the time. I don’t know whether they’ll like it and it’s probably way too long, but thank you, Mike, for asking me.

And I’d like to recommend Janet Davey’s marvellous novel, The Taxi Queue. The only thing that actually happens in it happens near the start, when two men meet in a taxi queue, one married and one not, and spend the night together (it’s not described, but that’s right for this novel). From there everything changes on the inside, although most things remain the same on the outside. But it’s a tour de force of shifting shadows, modernity and the mystery of ordinary people. Almost an English Murakami, I think. You should read it.

Ooh, and I have my Winter 2008 quarter royalties for the eBook ofThorn in the Flesh so I am now eleven dollars richer, which comes out at c£6.00, so thank you, Leslie of Bristlecone Pine Press for that! Every little makes a difference here in the shires, you know.

Today’s nice things:

1. Flowers from the book group
2. Poetry
3. University Writers
4. Quiet thoughts whilst visiting
5. Completing an article for submission
6. Books
7. Royalties.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – a feast of riches and silence

Thorn, Red Room success and a Race for Life

This morning’s Bible reading was quite a jolly way to start the week (thank goodness) – I’d all but forgotten the story about Balaam and the donkey – so here are my thoughts on it:

Meditation 98

It’s not the fact
that the donkey speaks
that gets me

but the fact
that the prophet replies.

It must have given
the fearsome, shining
angel of the Lord

pause for thought,
if only to consider

which of them
would best hear the message.

Ah, sometimes it’s tough being an angel, you know. Anyway, at work, I’ve been attempting to squeeze meetings where meetings really shouldn’t go, and hoping that nobody notices they don’t have time to breathe, let alone eat. Or … um … decide things. Still I managed to factor in a reflexology appointment for myself at lunchtime, so that was great. Very relaxing and just what I needed to prepare for this very busy week. Then again, which of my weeks isn’t busy at the moment?? Apparently though, my feet were throbbing with energy today, so maybe now’s a good time to get some exercise in while I’m geared up for it. On second thoughts, I don’t want to get over-enthusiastic too soon …

This afternoon, I’ve been trying to sort out a big lunch meeting for next week, and trying to decipher who’s coming and who’s not. It might be thirty, or it might be ten. It’s a mystery … If I’ve under-arranged, I fear I might have to get my apron on and start slicing bread. Now there’s a scary thought. Oh and I’ve finally sorted out our group entry for the Race for Life cancer research event in June in memory of our colleague, Penny Cronk who died from cancer last year – on my birthday, coincidentally enough (a fact which would have made her laugh for sure!…). Naturally, I won’t be actually running and am hoping to get away with a fast-ish walk … But if anyone out there is able to sponsor us at all, even in these difficult financial times, we’ll be hugely grateful, thank you.

Ooh, and I’ve just heard that The Red Room site for writers is featuring the Maloney’s Law book trailer as their best video of the week, so that’s a great thrill – thank you hugely, Jennifer of RR!

Tonight I’ll be at a reading group in Guildford as their book this month was Thorn in the Flesh and they’ve kindly invited me to attend. So I’m looking forward to that – and I even get dinner too, so that’s wonderful! I’ve prepared a list of questions to ask just in case, and I’ve also been practising a suitable reading for a few weeks just in case too (I have to be careful over certain words I can write but have trouble saying – ah, the curse of the family stammer …) – though I suspect I won’t need it. I didn’t at the last reading group I went to anyway. Still, preparation is all (as Shakespeare most definitely didn’t say). In any case, I hope they enjoyed the book. 

Today’s nice things:

1. Poetry
2. Reflexology
3. Race for Life, for Penny
4. The Maloney trailer being Red Room’s video of the week!
5. Thorn in the Flesh book group

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – ah, the film career really does start here, you know …

Wildernesses, tractors and poetry

Have had rather a peculiar day today – it feels most unsettling, though perhaps I’m just overtired? As it were. Or maybe it’s the existential shock (if shock can be existential) of having to go to work tomorrow. Heck, I’d only just got used to being off. Anyway, the lovely news is that All Things Girl webzine have accepted my short story, The Wilderness Room, for publication in April, so that’s cheering me greatly through it all. I’m especially pleased as it is rather off-the-wall as a story, so I wasn’t sure they’d like it – I’m so glad they do! I’ll let you know when it’s up on their site, and would love to know your thoughts. And, of course it rather helps to make up for the two rejections I’ve had over the weekend for other stories, which I’ve turned round and sent off into the ether once more. While I was in the mood, I’ve also submitted some more poetry to a new magazine, so we’ll see how that fares.

Talking of matters literary, here’s this morning’s meditation piece:

Meditation 97

Something about snakes:
dark poison seeping
through the blood,
swallowing life

piece by piece,
the onward fragile journey
of us all.
And then the bronze

serpent glinting in gold light
high on its distant branch
as evening drifts in.
Think how its empty eyes

echo the healing moon.

Bizarrely, Lord H and I actually saw a grass snake when we ventured out for a little pre-lunch stroll this morning, so obviously it’s a day for snakes. In all shapes and sizes. It’s also a day for tractors – I’ve written my third ever haibun and it’s about … um … tractors. I’m not entirely convinced about it, but hell it’s there. And sometimes that’s all you can really say about a piece of writing. I suspect I’ll have to think about it again later. But not today.

I’ve also managed to write another 500 words or so of Hallsfoot’s Battle and am beginning to work on end scenes. That’s not actually because I’m there in real-time (so no need to cheer) but because I’m leaving the very difficult and wide-ranging (well, one hopes, eh …) battle scenes and jumping over them until the end. Ah the joy of not having to write in linear time – sometimes that’s a lifesaver for cowards like me who haven’t got the nerve to face the tricky sections yet. I think I’m going to have to feel strong in order to do them. Ah well, don’t wait up, eh.

This afternoon, I can feel the siren song of a nap calling me, and I also feel an urge to do a puzzle or two. Though I do have to prepare my homework for next week’s Bible study or I won’t have a clue what’s going on. Not that that’s ever stopped me having an opinion, of course, and the right opinion at that. Ho ho.

Tonight, it’s the return of the glorious Lewis on TV, and I’m so looking forward to two hours of murder, charm and gentle wit to round off my Sunday. What more could you ask for?

This week’s haiku:

The calm morning brings
a day of gardens and song
drifting through the skin.

Today’s nice things:

1. Short story acceptance
2. Poetry
3. Hallsfoot end scenes
4. Napping
5. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne’s website – a snake in the grass is worth two in the bush …